£164m for NHS research

The Department of Health has revealed plans to fund a collaborative research venture between the NHS and some of the UK's leading universities.

The Department of Health has revealed plans to fund a collaborative research venture between the NHS and some of the UK's leading universities.

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) projects will be backed by £164m of government funding to find new ways to raise the level of care for major conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Public health minister, Dawn Primarolo, announced the launch of the NIHR Collaborations for Health Research and Care, which will begin in October 2008, bringing together universities and their local NHS trusts and organisations.

"This new funding will help to improve health outcomes for patients across England, with particular emphasis on conditions that cause chronic distress to patients and are a significant issue for the NHS to manage," said Primarolo.

Professor Sally Davies, director general of research and development for the department of health, said the NIHR initiative represents an exciting partnership between universities and the NHS. She explained that the joint research efforts will help develop new ways to translate findings into improved outcomes for patients.

"They [researchers] will be conducting this work at the front line of the NHS so that the benefits and findings from research can be swiftly incorporated into routine clinical practice," said Davies.